Reversible connector



Oct. 18, 19 J. v. GATTO ETAL REVERSIBLE CONNECTOR Filed Sept. 5, 1958 2Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2.

Q8 /6 I31! 35 d Jl) INVENTOR. JAMES M 64 EOBEET A7, f2 CDQEYVT7/VOPatented Oct. 18, 1960 REVERSIBLE CONNECT OR James V. Gatto, 16Dartmouth St., and Robert M. Florentine, 33 Brooks Ave., both ofArlington, Mass.

Filed Sept. 5, 1958, Ser. No. 759,295

6 Claims. (Cl. 339-31) This invention relates to an improved electricalconnector having a reversible component carrying male prongs ofdifferent sizes which are selectively available for plugging intodifferent receptacles to form electrical connections therewith.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a more practical,rugged, efficient, and serviceable connector of this kind which iseasily reversed for the purposes indicated, and which is composed of asmall number of simple and easily assembled parts, and which facilitatemultiple circuit testing operations, as in television servicing.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a connector of thecharacter indicated above, means for positively locking the reversiblecomponent in either of its two predetermined positions, in such a waythat the prongs of said component are secured in electrically andmechanically efficient contacts with contact elements of the connectorin either position, and in such a way that chances of shorts and ofelectrical shocks to users of the connector are eliminated.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention willbe apparent from the following description and the accompanyingdrawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form ofthe invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of a reversible connector of the invention;

Figure 2 is a left-hand end elevation of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an edge elevation of Figure 1 and includes in phantom linesin withdrawn relation thereto different plug connectors usabletherewith;

Figure 4 is a plan view similar to Figure 1 and includes in phantomlines a bladed connector plug in withdrawn position;

Figure 5 is a plan view of said reversible connector with its coverplate removed;

Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken through the reversible connector,showing the latches in closed position, in full lines and in openpositions in phantom lines and a rotated position of the prong block inphantom lines;

Figure 7 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 77 ofFigure 1; and

Figure 8 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 8-8 ofFigure 3.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designatelike parts throughout the several views, the illustrated reversibleconnector, generally designated 10, comprises an elongated preferablyrectangular panshaped dielectric case 12 which has a bottom wall 14,side walls 16, and a rear end wall 18, and is open and devoid of a frontwall at its forward end.

Rising along the longitudinal center line of the case 12 from the bottomwall 14 is a longitudinal relatively thick web 20 having a top surface22 on a level slightly above the upper edges of the side walls 16. Theweb 20 is secured at its rear end to the end wall 18 and 161? minates ina forward end 24 at a point about midway of the length of the. case 12.The web 20 has opposite sides 26 which are parallel spaced from the sidewalls 16 and therewith and with the bottom wall 14 define contactchambers 28, which are open at their forward ends and are closed attheir rear ends by the end wall 13. The end wall 18 has therethroughslots 30 next to the opposite sides 26 of the web 20 for passing flatprongs 32 of a connector plug 33 forwardly and longitudinally into thechambers 28.

A generally flat removable cover plate 34 covers the open top of thecase 12 and bears upon the upper surface 22 of the web 20 and the upperedges of the end and side walls of the case and is held in place by ascrew 35 threaded through the cover plate and into a forward part of theupper surface of the web 20. On the underside of the cover plate 34 is adepending boss 36 having a rear edge 38 engaging the forward end 24 ofthe web 20, a forward edge 4% displaced rearwardly from the forward end42 of the cover plate, and side edges 4-4 which are offset laterallyinwardly from the side edges of the cover plate and are engaged with theinward sides of the case side walls 16, as shown in Figure 8, in anesting arrangement which stabilizes the cover plate in place on thecase 12 and lends rigidity to the case walls.

Fixed upon the case bottom wall 14 in front of and connected to theforward end 24 of the web 20 and transversely elongated crosswise of thecase 12 is a relatively low and narrow block 46 which is spacedrearwardly from the forward end of the case 12 and has an upper surface48 which is spaced below the upper surface of the web 20.

Fixed to and depending centrally from the cover plate 34 near itsforward end 42 is a pivot pin 50 having a free lower end 52 which seatsin a socket 54 formed in the upper surface of a rib 56 which rises fromthe case bottom wall 14 at the forward end thereof and is elongatedcrosswise of the case 12. A transversely elongated spacer block 58engages the underside of the cover plate 34 forwardly of the boss '36and has its rear edge supportably engaged with the forward edge 40 ofthe boss, and is slidably traversed by the pivot pin 50, as indicated at60. The facing sides of the rib 56 and the spacer block 58 providebearing surfaces for a rotatable and reversible male prong carryingblock 62.

The prong carrying block 62 is of dielectric material, of rectangularcross section, and is elongated crosswise of the case 12, is of slightlyless length than the width of the case, and has beveled ends 64. Theblock 62 has a central vertical bore 66 therethrough which slidably androtatably receives the pivot pin 50. As shown in Figure 7, the block 62is of a thickness to fit closely but freely between the facing surfacesof the rib 56 and the spacer block 58.

Fixedly secured to and projecting from opposite sides of the prongcarrying block 62 are pairs of male prongs 68 and 70, respectively,which are of desired different sizes and spacings relative to eachother, so as to be acceptable by related electrical receptacles to whichthe connector 10 is to be selectively connected by rotating the block 62relative to the case 12 to put the desired prongs in forwardlyprojecting relation to the case 12. As indicated at 72 in Figure 5, theindividual male prongs 68 and 70 are severally connected together.

For locking the prong carrying block 62 in either of its reversedpositions, longitudinally elongated latch arms 74 are provided whichwork through horizontal longitudinal slots 76 which are provided in thecase side walls 16 forwardly of the web 20 and opening through theforward ends of these side walls. The latch arms are secured at theirrear ends on vertical pivots 78 secured across the rear ends of theslots 76 in enlargements 80 so as to be swingable fromfthe solid linelatching positions shown in Figure 6, to the open phanton linepositions-shown therein.

The laterally inward sides of the latch arms 74 have longitudinal detentrecesses 82 therein near the'forwar'd ends of the latch arms, which-havebevelled ends 84, for conformably and retainably receiving and engagingthe beveled ends 64 of the prong carrying block 62, in the latchingpositions of the arms 74, whereby the block 62 is secured in one of itstwo reversible positions, as shown in Figure 6. It is to be observedthat in the closed positions of the latch arms 74 the case 1 2 isentirely.

closed, so that entry thereinto of any extraneous object,

with accompanying hazards of shock or of short-circuiting the connector,are positively eliminated.

The prong carrying block 62 is rotatable through three hundred sixtydegrees, and selective electrical engagements of its prongs 68 and 70are, in the fully reversed and latched positions of the block 62, with apair of upwardly tensioned spring contacts 88 which are mounted side byside over and upon the upper surface of the low block 46. The contacts88 are individually connected, as indicated at 90, to the forward endsof longitudinal conductors 92 which terminate at their rear ends inconductive sockets 94, secured in recesses in the sides 26 of the web20, in vertical alignment with holes 96 provided in the rear part of thecover plate .34. At option, a plug connector 98 having round male prongs100 is adapted to be electrically andmechanically connected to theconnector '10 by insertion of its prongs 100 downwardly through theholes 96 and into the sockets 94.

J-shaped spring contacts 102 are disposed longitudinally in the chambers28 and have straight shank portions 104 bearing against the inward sidesof the case side walls 16, as shown in Figure 6, and have forward endportions 1G6 which extend laterally inwardly and are secured in slots108 in the sides of the web 20 at the forward end thereof. The shankportions 106 are in electrical engagement, as indicated at 110, with theportions 90 of the contacts 88, so that the contacts Hi2 areelectrically connected to the contacts 88.

The J-shaped contacts 102 terminate at their rear ends in laterallyinwardly projecting crooks 112 which are closely spaced from the sockets94. The flat prongs 32 of the connector plug 33 inserted through theslots 30 in the case end wall 18 frictionally engage between and makeelectrical engagements with the sockets 94 and the crooks 112 tocomplete a circuit to the contacts 33.

A pocket clip 86, facilitating carrying of the connector 10, in aconvenient position on the person ofthe user, is secured along theunderside of the case bottom wall 14.

Spring means can be associated with the latch arms 74- to urge theminwardly toward latching engagement with the prong carrying block 62, ifdesired, but this is not essential to efiicient operation of theconnector because the latch arms can be readily friction pivoted on thepins 78 so as to have the positiveftendencyrto remain in either latchedor unlatched positions into which they may be manually moved.

It is to be noted that upon removal of the cover plate 34 upon looseningof the screw 35, that" the pin" Shis removed from the spacer block 58and from the prong carrying block 62, so that the block 62 can then bereadily replaced, if desiredwith another similar block carrying form ofmale prongs other than those above described.

It is also to be noted that the two connector plugs 33 and 98 can beconnected at one and the same time to the connector 10, for certaincircuit operating or testing, as in servicing a television receiverorthe like, and that such operations are greatly facilitated by the useof the connector 10, :and by the consequent elimination of the 4 needfor additional elements for carrying out such operations.

While there has been shown and described herein a preferred form of theinvention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarilyconfined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of andin the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated asbeing within the scope of the invention as defined by the claimsappended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A reversible connector comprising a case having forward and rear endsand spaced top and bottom walls having free forward ends, a blockpivotally mounted on and between said walls at the forward ends thereof,said block having ends and opposite sides, pairs of differing maleprongs fixed and projecting from said opposite sides, related prongs ofthe pairs being electrically connected to each other, a pair of contactsmounted on said bottom wall rearwardly of said block for electricalengagement by a pair of male prongs, latch means on opposite sides ofthe case for retainably engaging related ends of said block while a pairof male prongs is en gaged with said contacts, and receptacle means onsaid case electrically connected to said pairrof contacts.

2. A reversible connector according to claim 1, wherein said receptaclemeans comprises a pair of side openings in said top wall and a pair ofend openings in the rear end of the case, a second pair of contacts inthe case engageable by prongs inserted either through the side openingsor through the end openings, the contacts of the second pair beingconnected to related ones of the first mentioned contacts.

3. A reversible connector comprising a pan-shaped dielectric case havingan open top and an open forward end, said case having a bottom Wall,side walls, and a rear end wall, a contact mounting web on and risingfrom said bottom wall at said rear end wall and having sides spacedlaterally from said side walls to define contact chambers, said webhaving a forward end spaced rearwardly from the forward end of the case,longitudinal slots in the side walls forwardly of the web and openingthrough the forward end of the case, longitudinal latch arms having rearends pivoted on the side walls at the rear ends of the slots and forwardends, a removable cover plate overlying the side walls, said end wall,and said web and secured to the web, a pivot pin fixed to the coverplate at the forward end of the cover plate and having a free lower end,a socket formation on the bottom plate in line with and receiving thelower end of the pivot pin, a male prong carrying block havingtherethrough a central bore through which the pivot pin extends slidablyand rotatably, said prong carrying block able while the prong carryingblock is in a crosswise position, a multiple contact mounted inv each ofsaid chambers and electrically connected to related ones of said fixedcontacts, and access means on the case and the cover plate providingselective access to the multiple contacts for connector plugs havingprongs.

4. A reversible connector according to claim 3, wherein each of'saidmultiple. contacts comprising a socket contact and a longitudinal springcontact, and said access means comprises holes in the cover platealigned with the socket contacts, and slots in the case end wall alignedwith the socket contacts and the longitudinal contacts. '5. A reversibleconnector comprising a hollow case having first and second ends, a pairof fixed contacts within the case at a point intermediate the ends ofthe case, said case being formed with a pair of end openings in saidfirst end and a pair of side openings in a side of the case adjacent tosaid first end, a pair of compound contacts Within the case adjacent tosaid first end, said compound contacts being reachable by prongsinserted through either the end openings or the side openings, saidcompound contacts being connected to related ones of the fixed contacts,a reversible block journaled in the case at said second end, said blockhaving first and second sides, pairs of difiering male prongs on saidfirst and second sides, prongs of one pair being electrically connectedto related prongs of the other pair, said block being rotatable relativeto the case to expose one pair of male contacts at the second end of thecase while engaging the other pair of male contacts with the fixedcontacts.

6. A reversible connector comprising a hollow case having first andsecond ends, a pair of fixed contacts 20 within the case at a pointintermediate the ends of the case, said case being formed with a pair ofend openings in said first end and a pair of side openings in a side ofthe case adjacent to said first end, a pair of compound contacts withinthe case adjacent to said first end,

said compound contacts being reachable by prongs inserted through eitherthe end openings or the side openings, said compound contacts beingconnected to related ones of the fixed contacts, a reversible blockjournaled in the case at said second end, said block having first andsecond sides, pairs of differing male prongs on said first and secondsides, prongs of one pair being electrically connected to related prongsof the other pair, said block being rotatable relative to the case toexpose one pair of male contacts at the second end of the case Whileengaging the other pair of male contacts with the fixed contacts, andflexible latch arms mounted on sides of the case and releasablyengageable With ends of the reversible blocks to hold the block inposition to engage a pair of male contacts with the first contacts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,075,632 Zuckerman Mar. 30, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS 565,155 France Nov. 5,1923 946,318 France Dec. 13, 1948

